Lost and Found
by The-Storm-Unleashed
Summary: MOCKINGJAY SPOILERS! Aurelia, is your average District 2 citizen, until Katniss Everdeen blows up her home, the Nut. With rage, she shoots Katniss and dedicates her life to destroying the Mockingjay. Only one thing stands in her way of victory: Gale.
1. Shots Fired

Hope you all enjoy my new story. It just came to me :P

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**Lost and Found**

**Shots Fired  
**

**Aurelia Haven**

It's dark and humid. It smells of sweat, blood, and dirt. It's crowded and complex. But it's a place I call my home.

I wasn't lucky enough to be born into a family of Peacekeepers or Victors like most of the kids who grew up in District 2. I was born to a poor man who worked in the old mines in the mountains of District 2, and a mother pronounced dead upon my arrival.

Ever since I was able to walk, this place has been my home. I haven't been out in the sun for days? Months? Years? I lost track when I realized that nothing was waiting for me on the outside.

I work in the mountains of District 2. I make sure everyone is taken care of and healthy. I give the Peacekeeper Trainees everything they ask for so they know they are at home in a place like this. I never volunteered for a job like this, but ever since my mother's untimely demise, my father needs more income to keep my stomach full.

District 2 was looked at as the best district in the world. We were on top for years, but it wasn't until both Cato and Clove lost the 74th Hunger Games, and Brutus fell to Peeta's hand, and Enobaria captured by the Capitol on suspicion on treason; that District 2 has fallen from grace. Everyone is ashamed of this District now, the only thing we have to be proud of is how we are still on the Capitol's side, and nothing will sway us towards those filthy rebels.

I hand water to another Peacekeeper Trainee while I walk the halls of the place I have named, "The Acorn". I have called this large mountain that ever since I was a little girl staring up at its acorn-like shape. Now, I think of it as "the Waiting Room." Not really home, because I never feel welcome here, and not really a prison because I am free to walk and speak to whomever I chose. Instead, it is the place where I will stay and wait for death to come find me.

I watch the trainees fight each other as they try to climb the ranks to hopefully become the respected Peacekeepers they long for. I was always fascinated watching them train. I remember when Cato used to walk these halls and train every waking moment. He was my favorite to watch; so determined, so driven, so strong, so untamed. I do admit that I had a crush on Cato, but his archenemy, and lover, had his mind before I. Together, Cato and Clove were the rulers of this place, defying their superiors, while trying to one-up each other at the same time. I remember the day of their Reaping. Cato volunteered and Clove just had to be better than him, not realizing that she just condemned one of them to death. But in the end, they both met the same ending.

Brutus was just as determined as Cato. But being one of the superiors and a Victor, he never had to prove anything. When the Quarter Quell came along, he had no need to volunteer or compete. He was far respected, but apparently not enough for his ego. What a surprise he fell to someone like Peeta Mellark from District 12.

Enobaria was… different. No one knew the real her. She just locked herself in her home in Victor's Village and never came out. Speculations rose that she was tempted by the Capitol to play up her biting the skin off of another Tribute's neck by getting the golden teeth, and that this much publicity made her mad. But no one knows the truth, because no one dares to ask. And now, we may never get the chance.

Thinking about our representatives for the Hunger Games reminds me of _her_. The reason Cato and Clove are dead. The reason Enobaria is wrongfully accused for treason. That stupid Fire Whore that ruined District 2. The face of the Rebellion. Their preciously little Mockingjay, Katniss Everdeen. Talk says she's coming here to force us to join the rebels. But I would rather be whipped to shreds and thrown into a pit of lemon juice and salt before bowing my head to those dirty rebels!

"Aurelia," he calls my name and my heart jumps. I look back at him and see the sweat trickle off of his forehead. "Water," he demands. I throw a bottle of water his way and he suavely catches it. He smiles at me, showing off his white teeth that are whiter than usual because of the dirt darkening his face. "Are you coming to my room tonight?" He asks with a smug smile on his face.

"Argus! Leave the water girl alone." Argus, like a scared dog with his tail in-between his legs, walks away from me to join the other trainees.

"Thank you Septum." I say with a smile. Septum is one of the superiors, and even though he does not match Argus in body, I am sure he can win in a fight against him.

Once the Peacekeepers are finished with their training, I continue my chores and clean up after them. After this, I will be able to sleep in the comfort of my bed and fall into the world of dreams that I visit every night. This is the highlight of my life. Leaving the real world and joining the realms that occupy my mind.

Before I reach my quarters I pass the train. I look out the long tunnel and see the sun shining through. I am tempted to walk towards the light, which I have never been. Something has caught my attention, but I don't know what it is. Something intense that I can't control has my eyes fixated on it. Whatever it is, it's impossible to let go of.

**Gale Hawthorne**

I look up at the nut-shaped mountain that resides on top of District 2. My plan is simple; I don't see why the others don't go along. We will be destroying the Capitol's weaponry and Peacekeeper supply, while scaring District 2 into joining the rebels. I look into her eyes for approval, but they hold the opposite. Of course she wouldn't understand. She wasn't there when it happened. She didn't see the flames that swallowed our homes. She didn't hear the screams of the ones we knew and loved. That's why I am doing it. Just feeding the Capitol their own sick medicine. If they want to bomb and obliterate our homes, then they better watch out, because I am not going to watch the flames of my home die down without a fight.

I don't feel like it's inhumane. They did the same to us. What are a few innocent lives when you attain victory? That's their way of thinking isn't it? But instead, we settle on a more humane approach: We bomb the entrance, forcing them to get on the train and make their way to the city square, there we will meet up with the survivors and shoot them. It sounds like an awful plan to me. It's just a waste of bullets. Why not get the job done with two simple bombs? But Katniss has jumped onto this plan and if the Mockingjay approves, then it must be a good plan.

Only seconds after the plan is executed, the train begins its trek down the mountain. A smile appears on my lips as I hold my gun tightly in my hands. I can feel it pulsating in its hallow frame; just as eager as I am to take these filthy Capitol followers down. Once the train reaches the station I lift my gun and ready myself to strike if the chance arises, however, the always compassionate and sympathetic optimist, Katniss Everdeen has asked us to hold our fire while she tries to "reason" with these monsters. I hope she takes comfort in the fact that I will be ready to shoot them the second the opportunity arises.

When the train doors open a swarm of charred and soot-covered bodies rushes out in a cloud of black smoke. It takes a while for the smoke to clear up, and when it does, I notice they are holding guns. _Perfect_. These people want to negotiate just as much as I do. I point the barrel of my gun at a civilian that makes their way towards us. I place my figure on the trigger and begin to squeeze until Katniss walks out in front of me, obscuring my perfect shot on this guy. I take my figure off the trigger and watch warily as Katniss attempts to exchange friendly words. Listening to her words amazes me. She really does know how to make someone think her way. I smile as I watch her, I tune everything out except for the words she speaks. I focus on the tone of her voice as it sooths me like it always did.

It isn't until she falls to the ground, do I realize she's been shot. I react quickly, and in seconds I find her shooter and impale them with my own bullet.

**Aurelia Haven**

When I reach our small cavern in the mountain that is our home, I check on my father. The last couple of days have been hard on him. He is old, frail, and poor. He can only work for so long until his body gives up. I cover his malnourished body in a blanket and watch as his body relaxes to the warmth.

My father is home earlier than usual so I decide to take over his shift so he doesn't have to stress about catching up. My father works as a blacksmith, creating swords and assembling guns. I am not as skilled as my father, but as long as I can help him in anyway, it doesn't matter how good I am.

I make my way through the cave walls until I am in the barracks of my father's work. No one cares that I take over for my father. Most of them envy him for having such a hard working daughter. Most girls my age are training for the Hunger Games or are in school.

"Hello Aurelia." I cringe at the tone of his disgusting tone.

"What do you want Argus?" I ask without looking in his direction.

"You're not supposed to be in the blacksmith's barracks."

"And you're supposed to be training." I snap back. "So I guess we are even."

He opens his mouth, probably to say something offensive, when a large explosion cuts him off. My heart drops. I know what is going on. Everyone's paranoia has gotten the better of them since rumors of District 13 being in our city have been floating around. Now, they have finally made their move. No one anticipated they would attack the Acorn; we were convinced they would at least take the city first. Argus curses under his breath, and something about that reminds me of my father. The explosion came from the south wall where the entrance is, and where our home is.

Without another second lost, I sprint towards the south wall. Argus calls my name but I don't listen. I know that he is going to try to stop me. I know that he is going to tell me that my father is most likely dead, but I won't listen to his lies. As I run, I hear his heavy footsteps behind me. Why is he following me?

Swarms of people push past Argus and I as we try to make our way towards the entrance. As they cross paths with us they tell us that it's useless, and that there is no escape through there. There are no survivors. I push and run harder just to prove to everyone that my father is there and he is still alive. Argus, however, catches up to me and locks me in a bear hug. I scream and retaliate, but stop when I see a ball of fire rush through the corridor I was about to so blindly run into. The same corridor that my home is in. I begin to thrash and scream as tears of realization fall down my face. Argus keeps me in his tight grip during my break down. He whispers "he's gone" in my ear ever so slightly.

Argus fears another attack and tries to get me on my feet, but I refuse. If my father is going to die in here, then so am I. But, like everything else in my life, Argus won't let me have my way and lifts me up and navigates through the corridors. It isn't long until we are in the train. He knows this mountain's caves as if they were the veins on his forearm.

I look out the window of the train and watch my home fall. Everything I lived for and loved is in that cloud of smoke and fire. I look away from the Acorn to see that down at the train station, waiting for us to get out, is our little Mockingjay and District 13, with plenty of artillery in their hands. Matched with the weapons we have in the train, it looks like we are going to have ourselves a little shoot-off. I smile to myself knowing that I am going to get my revenge.

When the doors of the train open the black cloud of soot and dust comes flying out. People begin to horde out of the train to breath fresh air. And there, waiting for us outside, is the enemy, with guns raised.

I look at her to see that Septum is walking towards her with his gun pointed at her. I'm screaming inside my head for him to shoot District 13's precious little Mockingjay. But instead, he listens to what that manipulative whore has to say to him. I watch as her malicious words seep into his feeble skull. That was always Septum's downfall. He always thinks there is good in everyone.

When Septum lowers his gun to the Mockingjay, the fury rushes in and I can't handle watching his weakness overcome him. I take Argus' gun and point it at her. I squint into the scope and when I have my shot, I take it. It's only seconds until she falls and when she does, I feel a pain in my shoulder and feel myself fall onto the cold hard ground.

The muffled sound of screams fills my head. I turn to look around but all I see is a man kneeling down. I don't recognize him, all I notice is his dark brown hair and deep grey eyes. Then, everything goes black.


	2. Prisoner

Here you go!

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**Prisoner**

**Gale**

I walk down the small corridor in the deepest depths of District 13. No one is allowed down here. Only few have clearance, and the only reason why I do is because I caught her.

I am infuriated with Coin for not letting me kill Katniss' shooter. It's obvious that she won't change her way of thinking with a few torture techniques and isolation in a six by six cell. Had that Capitol spawn taken Katniss' life, I would have made sure she died right there, with her blood flowing in the streets of District 2.

"Any progress?" I ask Boggs as I walk into the main room of the prisoner halls.

Boggs shakes his head. "She is stubborn." He says looking into her room through the screen on the desk. "She hasn't spoken a word to anyone since she's been in there."

"It's been three weeks." I say impatiently. "How can she keep her mouth shut that long?"

"Gale, I've tried everything. I sent in almost everyone from District 2 who surrendered to 13. She won't even look at them." Boggs says sadly.

"Did it ever accrue to you that maybe everyone who refused to surrender were the only ones she would talk to?" I ask Boggs. When he shakes his head I want to yell at his incompetence, but I keep my temper under. "I'm going in." Boggs tries to advice against it because I am the one who shot her. But I stop him. I may be the only one to get her to talk. Coin wants me to find out why she shot Katniss, so we need her to talk.

I go through the required security to go into her cell, though I convince Boggs to let me bring in a small knife just in case I have to persuade her to speak. The heavy steel door opens slowly, and I make my way into her small cell. I have to bend my head so I can fit. I look down at her to see her sitting up against the wall. She looks so malnourished compared to the last time I saw her. Boggs told me that she refuses to eat the food given to her with fear that it's poisoned. So she has been feeding on rats that make their way in her cell.

I kneel down next to her and she moves her head as far away from me as she can. I know what I am about to do is extremely risky, but to get her to look at me will show progress. I take out the knife and put it in front of her face so she can see it. I watch as he head moves slightly towards me so her eyes hit the knife. "Hi." I say to her. "My name is Gale Hawthorne, and I'm the guy who shot you." I say maliciously.

Within seconds she does exactly what I expect her to. She snatches the knife from my hands, pushes me to the ground, gets on top of me, and presses the knife to my throat. Before she can make another move, a few guards come in and throw her off of me. They throw her across the cell and she screams when her head hits the concrete wall and they hold her down from getting to me.

I get up and dust myself of, and with a smile of accomplishment, I walk out her cell.

"What the hell is your problem?" Boggs yells at me as I walk past the main room. "Why did you wave that knife in her face? Clove, Enobaria, Cashmere, and Lyme's weapon of choice were knives. You know District 2 favors knives, and you knew she was skilled in knife-work, and yet you still waved it around in her face!"

"Did you notice that I got her to look at me?" I say with a smile on my face. "Something your men haven't been able to do for three weeks." Boggs realizes that it was all planned. "She also screamed, which is the closest thing we've gotten to words."

"You do realize that if my men didn't come in when they did she would have slit your throat."

"Well I guess it's a good thing that we have a sturdy foundation of trust for each other." I say with a smile and leave the prisoner's quarters.

I know Boggs trusts me, but I feel bad for what I have done. If Boggs finds out that I purposely left the knife in her cell, he will never trust me again. I only hope that when she escapes, she won't use that knife on Boggs.

**Aurelia**

The guard carelessly shoves me across the cell and my back pounds into the wall. He whispers obscene things to me under his breath and then leaves without another word spoken.

I look around my small cell. This place has become my "waiting room" now. There is no way I can look around and say this is my new home. There is no one around me that I love or care about. They are all dead, and if they are not dead than they are dead to me for their surrender to the rebels. Septum surrendered to them the day the acorn fell. As for Argus, I've heard nothing of him. I presume he's dead.

Something in the corner of my eye catches my attention. I stare at the faint glimmer of something in the distance. I crawl over to the object and pick it up. I have little light in my cell so I can't see the object, so I depend on my sense of touch. I feel the curve of the item that lies in my hands. I grasp the leather handle. It can't be what I think it is. The man that shot me may be ill-witted, but not enough to actually leave me this. It isn't until I cut my figure do I realize this item is exactly what I think it is: a knife.

How could he have forgotten this? Maybe it is a test. Maybe he left this knife in my cell to see what I would do with it. But what does he expect me to do? If a guard comes and I kill him and try to escape, will he be waiting outside my cell to kill me? But what does he expect if he leaves me with a weapon? Maybe he is using the knife for an excuse to kill me. He knows that I will try to escape, and when I do, he will be waiting for me. But if he wants to kill me why didn't he do it when I was lying on the roads of District 2?

Whatever this man wants, I will make sure that he doesn't get it. His first mistake was equipping District 2 with a throwing knife.

Three days have passed and my shooter has not come to visit me. My life revolves around what the shooter wants me to do with this knife, and what my next move will be. I have had over a hundred opportunities to kill someone, but I don't. I want to save the knife for my shooter. There is always the chance that the guard that I attack will take the knife from me, so I want to make sure this knife, and all my energy goes into the death of this one man.

**Gale**

"You did what?" Beetee stops working on Katniss' bow and looks at me through the rim of his glasses.

"Don't worry Beetee, she won't use it to kill people." I assure him.

"You equipped District 2 with a throwing knife and you think that she won't kill anyone with it?" Beetee says. "Are you honestly that stupid?"

"I have a feeling that she is going to wait until I come back into the cell so she can use it on me."

"And if she doesn't? What then? People lose their lives because of you."

"No blood will be on my hands." I try to justify.

"But the strings of you puppet that you hold will be stained." Beetee interjects.

"Trust me Beetee. She will only try to use that knife on me."

**Aurelia**

Four days have passed and I still wonder what to do with the knife. My shooter has still not come to see me, and I feel that he won't. I know that he thinks I will use the knife on him, so he must be scared. I figure that now is the time to use it. I have been in here for a month, and I am losing my mind and my body. I don't know where I am or how I will make it back to District 2, but I have to try.

A few hours pass and I simply wait. I wait for a guard to bring me food, to come torture me, anything, as long as they open that door.

A few more hours pass and I figure that no one will come see me today. It must be night, and everyone must be asleep. I decide to go to sleep myself; I might as well build up my strength if I expect to take someone down. I lie down on the cold stone ground and shut my eyes. I begin to drift off into a deep sleep when I hear the creaking of my door open. I open my eyes and try to make out the figure that has come to see me. I have not yet memorized the bodies of everyone that visits me, so I am clueless to whom this may be.

"How can you stay so quiet for so long?" I recognize his voice. He is the man in charge of keeping me down here. His voice is the voice that yells at everyone and gives them orders. I don't know what this man looks like or what his name is, all I know is that he will be a challenge to take down.

"What is your name girl? Just give me that." I slowly take out the knife from under my shirt. "It's only one word you have to speak." I hold the knife tightly in my grip. "It's a word you use when you meet someone new." Tighter and tighter the knife stays in my grip. "It's common curtsey to tell people your name when they ask." He makes his way towards me and I sit up and ready myself for a strike. "Just tell me your name." He whispers in my eye. I can smell the alcohol on his breath. "Tell me," he begins to stroke my thigh. "Or I will force you to tell me."

When he begins to creep his hand higher up my thigh I make my move. With one single swift motion, I drive the knife into his gut. The man roars with pain, and when he lets go of me I get up and run for the door. He tries to grab for me, but I am already gone. I run down the hall and see two guards waiting for me at the door. I charge at them. I slice the first one across the face, and slit the other one's throat.

I run to the staircase and make my way up. I know that I should stay away from the elevator, because if this gets out, they will shut it down. I make it up at least ten flights of stairs before the lack of stamina gets to me and I can't run anymore. I find the first door that leads out of the staircase and enter another hallway. This hallway is much more well lit. I walk around the hallway for a while, to gain back the strength that I lost running up that flight of stairs. I look around and read what is written on the doors. It seems to be a lab of some sort. When I pass a door that says _"Weaponry"_ I can't help but take a peek inside. District 2 is known for weaponry, we know how to make a great machine gun, and if District 13 is trying to replicate what we do every day of our lives, I want to laugh at their faces as they fail miserably.

I turn the handle on the door and smile to myself when I see that it is unlocked. I slowly open the door and peer my head in to see if anyone is inside. When I see no one in sight I walk in and take a look around. I see massive amounts of machine guns stored on the walls of this artillery. I never saw this many guns all together because the Capitol took our supplies daily. I feel the craftsmanship of each gun and I am surprised to see how well build they are. Whoever created these guns did an outstanding job making sure they were built to last.

I hear an argument coming from the middle of the room. I contemplate whether or not I should pursue. Chances are, these men can be larger than me and stronger than me, but then again, so were those two guards back in the prisoners quarters and I took them out no problem. If I kill these two men then I can take colossal amounts of ammunition and destroy District 13 once and for all. There is really not much that I can lose. So I pursue.

When the two men are within eyeshot I see that one of them is old and in a wheelchair, and the other is a young teenager. This is just too easy. I make my way towards them and begin to hear their argument.

"No blood will be on my hands." The young one says with his arms crossed.

"But the strings of you puppet that you hold will be stained." The old man says fixing a much too large box.

"Trust me Beetee." The young one says picking up and aiming a bow and arrow. "She will only try to use that knife on me."

When I hear the last of his words I stop in my tracks. The young man is my shooter. There he is, in bright lighting, talking about the knife that he gave me. I begin to pursue him faster, now filled with rage as I see the face of my shooter, when I knock over a metal stool that rings through the entire room. Both men look over at me and I freeze. They both hold weapons that are far more superior to mine, and in a fight like this, I can't win.

My shooter looks at me, then the bloody knife in my hands, then back at me. His eyes are filled with desperation. "Please tell me you didn't use that knife on Boggs." Seeing the pain in his eyes makes me wonder who this Boggs is, and if he was the man that came into my cell.


	3. The Stand Off

**Sorry It took FOREVER guys. Here is the next chapter. I know it's short for how long it's been. Again, sorry!  
**

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**The Stand Off**

**Gale**

My heart is racing and everything in my head is exploding. My plan has failed miserably. Not only has the District 2 girl used the knife on someone other than me, but judging by her facial expression, she used it on Boggs. I look into her eyes and see rash desperation in them. She is lost and scared and surprised at what she has done. I contemplate on whether I should fight her or console her to calm her down.

"Young girl, you are not offered clearance in this area. I'd advise you return to your quarters." Beetee says looking away from his work and at the girl.

She is stunned and doesn't know what to say; as am I. I look down at Beetee and wonder if the man is losing his mind to dementia. Does he not realize who this girl is and what she is doing here? However, something tells me that Beetee knows exactly what he's doing and I decide his plan is ingenious and I play along.

"Have you lost your way? I can have someone come here and guide you to your room." I say nicely with concern in my voice.

The girl looks at us with her mouth slightly open, wondering if I'd forgotten the bullet I sent her way. She recognizes me and she knows I remember her because of my previous question about Boggs. Hopefully she dismisses the question as another random tantrum of a mad man.

"Call her an escort, boy!" Beetee snaps like an old man. "She is obviously traumatized being somewhere she's never been before."

"Of course," I place the bow down and offer my hand to her. "Come here and I'll get you a blanket while you wait. Would you like some coffee?"

The girl is surprised and confused. I can't imagine what is going through her mind right now. When she refuses my hand I take the walky-talky from my belt and pull it out. I turn away from her and make my way to the hallway. I tune to Coin's channel and press down on the button.

"Coin, this is Gale. I have the escaped prisoner from District 2 in my sights. She is armed and confused. How should I proceed?"

"Do not terminate the target, Gale. I repeat, do not terminate the target." She replies almost instantly.

"Coin, she is armed in a room with just Beetee and myself. What am I supposed to do?"

"Reason with her Gale, try to get her to trust us. She may hold some vital information about the Capitol."

"How am I supposed to reason with a girl who hasn't spoken a word in over a month?"

"According to some of the District 2 civilians that surrendered, her name is Aurelia. Her mother died when she was born and her father died in the explosion. I believe you can sympathize with the loss of a parent. Try to come at her with a more humane approach by showing her that you aren't that different from her."

"Are you kidding me, Coin? You want me to sympathize with that crazy bitch!"

"Let me put it this way, Gale; if you kill her, I will have you whipped and hanged for treason."

I turn off the walky-talky and place it back on my belt. I don't want to reason with the likes of her. I am not like Katniss. I am not a negotiator and I am not the reasoning type. I'm the kind of guy you call when you want someone who doesn't want to cooperate dead.

I walk back inside the Weapons Room to see the girl wielding a bow. She pulls the string back as if to shoot, but without an arrow. She releases the string and flinches in pain as the string hits her forearm.

"When holding the bow, hold your fist out like this," Beetee says showing her with the bow. "that way the string doesn't hit you when you release." The girl takes the boy from him and tries with succession this time.

"Beetee, what the hell are you doing?" I yell and they both turn around to look at me.

"I was teaching this young girl how to wield a bow." Beetee says as if he has done nothing wrong. It is now that I wonder if this man is actually losing his mind.

"Are you insane, old man? She is an enemy of District 13, and you're teaching her how to use another weapon that can be used against us?" I yell.

"She looked as if she genuinely wanted to know how to use one." He says as if that's a reason to give lessons to the enemy.

"And if she looked as if she genuinely wanted to know how to kill me or you, you would tell her all our weaknesses?"

"Well obviously not, Gale. That would take all the fun out of it for her."

I look over at the girl and see a smile cross her face. "What do you find so humorous, huh?" I yell at her. "That this old man's failure to see that you're an enemy is somewhat amusing to you?"

"She won't talk to you, Gale." Beetee chimes in. "Honestly, I don't blame her. You did shoot her."

In the anger that flows through me, I grab the bow and arrow that lie on the table near me and point it at the girl. "I'll gladly do it again if she doesn't tell me what the Capitol is planning." I look at the girl; I really look at her in this moment. She is calm and collected, and doesn't fear for her life as a deadly weapon is pointed her way. Had she been on my team, I would admire this trait about her. However, she is my adversary, and because of that I can't respect anything about her.

**Aurelia**

I'm not scared of him. No matter how big and tough this boy thinks he is, he is nothing like the men that I have had to deal with back at District 2. I have had to fight my way through many a men like him. None have scared me, none have had me in their grasps, and none will force me to submission.

"Gale, put the bow down. You and I both know Coin wants her alive." The old man says. I don't know what I have done to gain the old man's favor. I have not spoken a word to him, and the fact that he is protecting me from a boy he knows more than me is puzzling.

"Aurelia," the boy named Gale says to me. When I hear my voice come from his lips I feel a rush of something run through my body. I am not quite sure what the rush is, whether it is anger, fear, or something else. But the fact that he knows my name and where he got it has caught me off guard. "Wonder where I got your name from?" he continues. "You're little friend gave it to me. You know the one that surrendered to us." He says speaking of Septum. "He told us a lot about you. He told us of a mother that died shortly after your birth, a father that died during the attack on your home." He walks toward me, and I find my body frozen by his words to back away. "What do you have to live for, Aurelia? You're parents are dead, you have no siblings, your friends are all betrayers to your cause." He now stands next to me, only a foot away from my body. He towers over me this close. "Guess whose idea it was to bomb your precious home?" He says no in a whisper. "I'll give you a hint," he says his lips now touching my ear. "It was me."

My blood boils under my skin and I am so infuriated that I don't hear the rest. I push the boy away from me and jump on top of him, screaming at the top of my lungs punching him over and over as hard as I can. He is quick to get me off of him and pins me down to the ground, not hitting or kicking me, but restraining me to the ground.

"Say one word to me!" He yells over my struggle so that I can hear. "Just say one word to me and I'll let you go."

The hatred inside me boils and I can't restrain myself anymore, so I give him what he wants. "I hope you die you rebel dog!" I spit out with as much venom as I possibly can.

The boy smiles and releases me. When his grip is removed from me, two bodyguards come into my line of sight and take hold of me on each side.

"Take her to the prison quarters with the others." He says composing himself as he stands. "She has made much improvement."

* * *

Please Review after reading! It makes me really happy to hear what you all have to say. Even if it's bad!


	4. On Our Knees

**On Our Knees**

**Aurelia**

The Peacekeepers take me to an office where a woman does paperwork on my transfer to the prison cells that the rest of District 2 is being held in. I wonder who all is left defiant after such a long time in captivity. I know that those who decided to join the rebels' cause were given pardon, and are allowed to walk amongst the rest freely, yet the remainder are locked together until they too treacherously make their way to the rebels. I think of the feeble-minded men and women that would have joined the side of the rebels. Out of all the names I could think of, I never thought Septum would have been one of them. I had great respect for him, and he lost it all on day one.

I am brought into a cafeteria-type area, where I am reunited with the familiar faces of those whom I haven't seen in so long. All eyes are on me as the two Peacekeepers escort me to a table with a tray of food already left out for me. Once they sit me down and leave, a few people come sit next to me and ask questions. I say nothing to them because I am bombarded with so many questions about what I went through. Yet, all their questions come to an end when they are pushed away. Before I can assess what is going on, I am hugged tightly by someone. At first, I feel as though I am being attacked, but when I notice the embrace is loving, I ease myself.

When I am released from his grip, I find that the embrace is from Argus. I am surprised to see him here. Argus is the type to use and step on others to get his way. I never thought he would allow his surroundings to be so bleak when he could have easily sold out everyone here for better living quarters and free access to anything in the district. Yet, he chose to stay faithful to the Capital and his district by staying quiet.

He holds me at an arm's length and examines me. "What have they done to you?" I not sure if he is talking about the scars all over my body, the drastic weight loss, or the dark circles under my eyes; but I'm sure I have changed in appearance due to my month stay in that small cell.

I say nothing to him. I hate myself for yelling at my shooter and giving him the satisfaction of hearing me speak. So I need to continue to be mute. Yet, Argus seems disturbed by this and I can tell by his expression that he is not happy that I continue to say nothing, especially to him.

Argus asks me to sit with him and the rest of the remaining District 2 that stays strong to their beliefs. I look around the table to see less than two dozen men and women that surround me. Out of all the people the rebels taken hostage, this is all that's left? The idea that the majority of the people I worked and lived with are now rebels against the Capital that gave them everything they needed makes me sick to my stomach. I wonder how many of them converted because they truly believed it better so, or rather, because the advantages of being free outweighed the trouble of staying faithful to their beliefs. Regardless of the situation, those men and women are nothing more than cowards.

"Aurelia," Argus says my name hoarsely. I look up at him. It has been so long since someone I know has said my name. It makes me feel warm inside, but I can't help but think about how I felt when my shooter said my name. It was so strange. I can't even begin to explain how I felt. "A lot of us are gone." He says looking around the table at everyone. Septum gave them vital information about the Acorn. Some of them left last night to raid the weapons supply."

"I didn't think it would come to this." An elderly man who works as a blacksmith says. "I never thought a war would be waged."

"They are preparing for an attack, Aurelia." Argus whispers. "You escaped and were in their armory. What was it like? Did they have a lot of supplies?" I think about their inventory. It was nothing like ours back home, but if they are raiding our supplies, they have enough to wage a well-fought war. "Did they have advanced equipment?" He asks, noticing that I am staying quiet. "Bombs, tear gas, missiles?" He raises his voice frantically trying to get an answer from me. "Aurelia, you have to say something. War is being waged, and everyone in District 2 is defenseless. They are going to attack the Capital! The Capital, Aurelia! You have to tell us everything you know!"

I look up at one of the Peacekeepers that is watching us. He is waiting for me to say something. So I stay quiet. I won't give them that satisfaction. Argus pulls his head down, knowing that getting me to talk is a futile attempt.

A whistle is blown and I jump. "It's okay," A young girl, no older than 10 says. "That's just tells us it's time to go back to our rooms."

I look down at the little girl. She is too young to understand what is going on, and she still has the look of excitement and wonder in her eyes because she is in a new place.

When I make it into my room, I see that I share it with a few other District 2 citizens. One of the girls who stays with me is Nara, the daughter of the man who coached and taught citizens how to become Peacekeepers. She is probably one of the richest people in District 2, and I am quite honestly surprised she is here and didn't defect to the rebels. Her family isn't the type to suffer in their surroundings. She is probably being forced to stay here because of her father and his loyalty towards the Capital. It wouldn't look good if the only child of the man that trained the people that protect the Capital, defected to the rebels.

I look her up and down. She is dirty, and probably hasn't showered for the past couple of days. This is unlike her. The only times I ever saw Nara was when she visited the Acorn to bed Cato or Argus or the current best fighter the Peacekeeper training camps produced. She is known for being a snob with needs that only the strongest men could satisfy. I wonder if she and Argus have hooked up since they have been here. I can't imagine how they could get any privacy to do so. Then again, she has never been one for privacy.

I look around and see children as young as five, being forced to live in these conditions. The rebels like to think of themselves as saints for saving us from "the tyranny of the Capital" but they are putting us through more physical torment that the Capital has anyone, simply because we don't believe in their ideals.

So, this is where I am going to spend the rest of my life. There is no way I am going to defect to these rebel pigs so they might as well just kill me.

**Gale **

"We might as well just kill her." I say as I bandage up my arm from her scratches.

"Absolutely not, Gale," Coin says in a scolding tone. "If we kill her, we will become no better than the murderous Capital. She will become a martyr. She will become the Capital's Mockingjay."

I scoff at the idea. She is nothing like Katniss. She cannot rally and inspire like Katniss. She will become but another death caused by the Capital's tyranny. "She attacked me, Coin. She needs to be—"

"Punished?" Coin finishes. "_You_ provoked_ her._ She had every right attacking you."

"You told me to get her to speak, and I did." I look up at her "Something your men failed to do for an entire month."

"We want her on our side, Gale; we don't need her interactions with us to be hostile!"

"Semantics," I shrug. "So when do I get to see her? I have to thank her personally for this." I say motioning towards my black eye.

Coin's eyes grow large, "Are you kidding me, Gale?" She yells. "Because of you, two of my men are dead, and Boggs is in critical condition. What were you thinking putting a weapon in her possession?"

"I want her to think she can trust us. She is a very strong girl to withstand the conditions we put her in. I think someone like that is an asset to our cause."

"She is not some doll you can play with, I have plans for her. She may know some information about the Capital that the others haven't told us."

"She is a teenage girl, Coin; I doubt she knows anything about the Capital and their plans for us."

"Well, Gale, a teenage girl is the face of our rebellion. So I wouldn't be so quick to rule her out." I'm not sure how to respond to that comment so with that, I leave Coin and make my way back to Beetee at the armory.

"You know," Beetee says after a while of silence fixing a gun. "The black eye makes you look more badass." I glare up at him from the gun that I am trying to dissemble. "What has Katniss said about your little quarrel with the girl?"

"I haven't seen her since it happened." I say looking back at the gun. "She's too busy worrying about Peeta." I say spitefully.

"Don't be like that, Gale." Beetee says, "You yourself told me that you did not stay faithful to Katniss during her games. Why punish her for doing the same?"

"Because she is a girl and has to be head over heels with me and stay true to me, while counting down the days until she sees me again, while I do whatever I want." I say almost jokingly.

"I don't think Katniss is the type to be 'head over heels' with someone; especially not after what she has endured during the Hunger Games. She knows how precious life is, and how fast those you hold dear are torn away from you. That vulnerability towards someone is undoubtedly something she doesn't like to show."

"Katniss has always been the type to hide any emotion she deems cute." I say bitterly.

"You ever think it is time to move on?"

I'm not sure how to respond to Beetee's question. I love Katniss. I have always been afraid to admit it, and when she left and I dated other girls, no one could fill the void that Katniss did. She is fun. She isn't just someone I hold attraction to. But she is someone I can see myself living the rest of my life with. I never thought much about the future, because the Capital obscured the vision. But with this new coming rebellion, bringing hope to everyone, I can see myself having a decent future again. But the idea to have that future with someone other than Katniss scares me. It's always been us and our families. Without us… I can't even imagine it.

"I would rather live in a happy little fantasy world where I don't have to think about anyone else. Where I'm Katniss' knight in shinning armor, and Peeta is a troll."

"Very creative." Beetee mentions. "But what about the girl? That rebel girl?"

"Aurelia?" I ask think about the girl. I laugh at the idea. "Yeah, you can totally tell from the scratches on my arm and the black eye that she is absolutely into me."

"I've seen stranger pairings." Beetee notes as he ends the conversation by going back to work.

I think about what he said, and the idea of being with Aurelia. I shake the thought out of my head. There is no way that she would want someone like me. There is no way I want her. She is a rebel. She is brainwashed by the Capital. She is far too set in her ways for me to work with her.

**Aurelia**

I look around the cafeteria and see that the number of Peacekeepers watching us has reduced dramatically. There is only one Peacekeeper watching us, and he leaves the cafeteria often, without getting a replacement. I wonder if this is a trap or not. There is no way that this place is not being watched under video surveillance with the lack of human surveillance. They are probably expecting us to start a riot, where they will be waiting to detain us.

Argus sits down next to me. He places his hand on my thigh, rubbing up and down. I'm not sure if he is trying to seduce me or comfort me, but I can feel Nara's eyes watching me carefully as I keep my head down.

"How did you sleep?" He asks, bending his head down so no one else can hear. I don't respond and see him frown that I stay mute. "Don't worry, Aurelia. Today we fight, and I will make the guy who shot you pay for what he did."

I look up at him and can't believe the words that come from his lips. Argus may not be the smartest man I have met, but he can't be stupid enough to fall into the trap that the rebels have put him in. Yet, as he stands up, grabbing the attention of the rest of the rebels, I guess that I gave him too much credit.

"Citizens of District 2!" He announces strongly, grabbing the attention of everyone in the cafeteria. He begins to speak of the hardships they recently went through. He mentions with spite, all the men and women that defected to the rebels. He gives a shout out of devotion towards the Capital to some people. He mentions me and the torture I went through, but he surprises me when mentions Nara and how she stayed loyal to the Capital even after her father defected and tried to convince her to do the same. I look over at the girl I once held no respect towards. She was never one to get dirty or have to suffer for anything in her life. Her father gave her everything, and I was convinced that she stayed loyal because her father forced her to, but now, hearing that her father defected and she stayed true, gives me hope that we can fight this war.

"The rebels bombed our home, killed our loved ones, and forced us to live on our knees!" I watch as Argus gets the crowd riled up. I'm surprised at how well he speaks. He has shown many redeemable qualities about him since the Acorn was bombed and I smile as I look up at him and am mesmerized by the words that leave his lips. "But I think, that it is better to die on your feet, than to live on your knees!" The crowd roars with excitement as he rallies them to fight. "Let's show them District 2 is not to be trifled with!"

With that, the doors fly open, and Peacekeepers pour in to sedate the crowd. We all get up and begin to fight. I find a smile reach my lips as I run towards the guards and fight. It has been so long since I have had a thrill like this one. Everything moves in slow motion. I watch my fellow District 2 citizens as they fight for their lives and their freedom. Here, in the mist of this quarrel, everything is beautiful.

I hear the shrieking sound of a whistle being blown, and I stop what I am doing to see its origin. The man who blew the whistle is the same one that shot me. A smile crosses my face knowing that I finally have my shot at him. I begin to make my way towards him, with a purpose in my step; a thirst to kill. However, before I can reach him he grabs Argus and turns him towards the crowd. He kicks Argus to his knees, because he towers over him, and he pulls a gun to his head. I stop in my tracks. Everything is silent, and everyone is frozen, waiting to see what his next move is. Argus' face is void of all emotion. He is ready for this. He was trained to be prepared for death, but I wasn't. I can't watch him die.

My shooter cocks the gun and when he does, I know what I have to do to save Argus. I yell at the top of my lungs, charging towards him in hopes to save him.

I am stopped dead in my tracks when a Peacekeeper grabs hold of me violently. His tree trunk arms wrap around me, and I am unable to struggle. The smile on my shooter's face has wiped off and he stares at me with a curious glare. I look at Argus and he is stunned. His face is so soft right now, he looks as a child after being yelled at by his mother. There is confusion in his stare, but there is an undoubtable glance of love in his eyes.

"Please," I let out, not realizing how hoarse my voice sounds from the lack of use. "Please, let him go."

I look at my shooter, begging him with my eyes to release Argus. His face is impossible to read. I look at him, waiting for an answer or a move, but he does nothing. He simply stares at me. I can't help but wonder what is going on in his mind right now.

**Gale**

I'm frozen. I didn't think I would hear her speak again, especially not like this. I look down at the guy whose head is against the barrel of my gun. What makes him so special? Who is he to her? Is he her brother? No, there is no way. The look on her face says otherwise. I wonder what to do at this point. Everyone's eyes are on me. It's my turn to make the next move, so I do.

I pull the gun away from him and kick him to the ground. "You," I say to the Peacekeeper who is holding the girl. "Take her to the Interrogation Room." Now that her tongue is becoming more loose, I'll be able to press more information out of her. For whatever reason, Coin finds her to be more important than your average teenage girl, so I'll just have to bring her and see what secrets she is hiding.

The Interrogation Room is a small room, possibly even a closet, with a beat up table, chairs to match, and bright florescent lights that make everyone look pale and sickly under its light. I sit maybe three feet away from the girl. She is handcuffed to her chair, so the only way she can hurt me is if she head-butts me if I was leaning in close. She keeps her head down so she doesn't have to see me. I can tell that she is not happy, but if Coin wants her here, then she is going to be here.

Coin is in a meeting with Katniss and some others, so she gave me the responsibility to interrogate her and see what she knows.

"So," I start and doesn't budge in looking at me. "Why don't we start with you telling me what your job was at the Nut." She doesn't budge. She doesn't move or speak or anything. She is frozen with her down and turned slightly to the right. "Okay," I say trying to lead her to talk to me. "Why don't you tell me something about your family. Where are they?" Again she doesn't move. I know that if I want to get her to talk then I have to do it the only way that works: through force. "We spoke to some of the converted rebels. They tell me that your name is Aurelia, you're an  
only child, you worked as a water girl/blacksmith assistant. Must have been a hell of a promotion." She still doesn't move and I know that I have to get more intimate. "I heard your mother died when you were very young. That's sad, every girl needs her mother." She still doesn't move in the slightest. "I was told that your father died in the attack against your home." I move in closer, whispering in her ear. "It must really suck knowing that the mad who killed him is sitting right next to you, and there is nothing you can do to avenge his death."

Finally, I get something out of her. Her lips twitch in a slight frown and she moves her head towards me. She looks strait into my eyes. Her bright green eyes shine venomously through the stands of her black hair that fall on her face. She says nothing to me. She simply glares at me. There is no emotion in her stare. She simply watches my every move.

"So, tell me something about the guy in the cafeteria." I say and she turns her head away from me again. "I asked around and he is not related to you. Some say you have a crush on him. Isn't that just cute? Others say that he is apparently hot stuff up on that mountain, and everyone wants a taste of him. I don't see it though. Some say that you despise him. All rumors, I assume. So let's hear it from you. What are your feelings towards dear ol' Angus?"

She mumbles something and a smile crosses my face, knowing that she is budging. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What are your feelings towards Agnes?"

"His name is Argus." She says turning towards me with more power to her voice.

I lean back in my seat, "Argus, right, right." I say, stretching my arms behind my head. "What a strong name for a strong baboon." She looks away from me again. "So, why did you stand up to save him? Is he your knight in shining armor? Because he looks like a tool to me."

She shakes her head slightly and I decide to continue. "One of the rebels says that he had a crush on you. They said that he took care of your father and even gave him some money so your father could support you." She looks over at me with the slightest bit of confusion mixed with amazement. My guess is that she didn't know he did this. "Isn't that just the sweetest? Looks like our little tool is a knight after all."

She turns away from me again and I decide to press her for answers that Coin would find helpful. We sit there probably for hours, and she refuses to talk. No matter how hard I press her or what I say, she will not budge and speak to me. A few more hours pass and I know that she is going to continue this silent treatment, so I do what I imagine is my final option.

"Alright then," I say with a sigh, getting up to my feet. "If you're not going to talk then I guess we will just have to whip the words out of you." She still doesn't budge and I smile. "Guards, take her to the Courtyard!"

Two Peacekeepers come in and grab her from each side. She doesn't cry for help or struggle. She is limp as a rag doll as the men take her to the Courtyard. When we arrive, there is a post in the middle of the room where we tie up prisoners and whip them. The post still gives me flashbacks from when I was whipped by the Capital. It brings me joy to return the favor to the dogs that blindly follow them. I look over at the girl, and she embraces the whip. She is not afraid of what will come to her. I smile at the thought that she has no idea what is coming to her.

The guards hold her tightly when another pair of guards come in, dragging the beat up body of her little lap dog. I look over to her to see her reaction to seeing that she is not to be whipped but her little lover. She looks up with distress in her eyes and tries to fight the Peacekeepers that hold her back. Her little boyfriend is unrecognizable by the bruises and cuts on his face and will be even more so when his entire body is whipped.

The Peacekeepers tie him up to the pole and begin whipping him. He is strong, and good at staying quiet for the sake of her and all the others helplessly watching. I watch as the girl struggles in the arms of the Peacekeepers. She screams out his name and begins to beg they release her. The guards look at me for permission to let her go to him, but I shake my head. Not yet.

It isn't long until he begins to shout out in pain, and when he does, I allow her to go to him. Upon her release, she runs to his aid. She wants to hold him and hug him, but she knows that he is in pain, and touching him would only do worse. She whispers to him and I can't read her lips to see what she is saying to him. I look over at the Peacekeepers that brought him here, and motion them with my head to take him away. When they do, she begins to yell, trying to protect him from their grasp. The other two Peacekeepers grab her, and hold her back as he is dragged to the Basement Cell.

I look over at her and smile. Her head falls with exhaustion and fails to match my gaze. I tell the Peacekeepers to take her away and make my way to Coin to tell her that I believe this girl is not as special as she thinks her to be.

**Aurelia**

As soon as my shooter is out of sight, I fight the two guards. I struggle more on my right side, making him try to defend himself. He pulls out a beating stick to knock me out, when the time is right, I duck and he hits the other guard, knocking him out, when I am free on my left side, I take the stick from the passed out guard and hit the other one in the head. It takes a few hits before he is out, but when he is, I run away from the scene.

I frantically run in the labyrinth of hallways that make up District 13. I know where I want to be, but I don't know how to get there. My heart is racing and I feel like throwing up. I've never seen Argus so defenseless. He has always been a strong competitor, and matched if not surpassed the strength of Cato and Brutus. It brought me to tears seeing him so exposed like that.

I finally find the door that I am looking for, and bust my way in. I am gripping the stick as hard as I can, my knuckles are white with how hard my grip is, and my hands are wet with the blood of the Peacekeepers. My heart is beating so loud that I can't hear anything. I look around the room frantically for his face but I cannot see him anywhere.

I take a breath, and try to calm myself down. I know that I am getting nowhere if I can't hear anything over the beating of my heart. I look around and jump when I hear a voice speak out.

"Oh hello there, welcome back."

I look down at the old man in the wheelchair. It's the same delusional man that showed me how to hold a bow. He doesn't seem in the slightest bit fazed that I am in here not only unaccompanied, but also with blood and a weapon in my hands and no doubt the look of pure insanity on my face.

"Where is he?" I say weekly. I hate myself for my tone. I make my way towards the man, towering over him as he sits in his wheelchair. "Where is he?" I say more sternly.

He isn't in the slightest bit fazed by my tone, and I know that I sounded more convincing the second time. He looks me up and down, then turns away from me and continues his work. "Gale?" He asks still looking at the gun he is building. "He is not here. He went to go talk to Katniss. I can tell him you stopped by. Or you can wait here until he returns. Though I imagine it taking a while."

My heart begins to race, and I don't have patience for this man's ridiculous attitude. "Where did he take Argus?" I yell, tears rolling down my face uncontrollably. "Where are they holding him?"

"That would most likely be in the Basement Cell if not in the regular Prisoner Quarters." He says, not fazed that I am crazed and delusional.

"Where is that?" I say with clenched teeth.

"In the basement, of course," He says and I begging to feel my blood boil. "Silly girl, asking silly questions." He says under his breath. He rolls out from the desk in which he works. "Here," he says making his way to the door. "I'll take you there."

Every ounce of my body screams that it is a trap, but I go with him. I have nothing to lose at this point, and wouldn't mind if death came and rid me of this prison. So if he leads me to my death, I embrace the end.

We make our way towards the elevator shaft where the old man hums and sings to himself. He asks me to sing along in his little folk songs, but I refuse. This man is clearly insane, and I can't wait until he takes me to Argus so I can kill him.

When we make our way towards the very bottom of District 13 the elevator opens to a small lobby where a man sits at a computer next to a large closed door.

"Good evening, Boggs!" The old man shouts out joyously.

The man looks up from the computer screen and at me. I recognize him as the man that I stabbed. I put my head down, not wanting him to see me. It is clear that the old man is insane and will let me go wherever I please, but I know this man will fight to have me imprisoned. Especially after stabbing him.

"What the hell is this, Beetee?" He roars as he stands from his computer. He comes charging at me and grasps his entire hand around my small neck. I struggle under his might, trying desperately to free myself.

"Boggs, don't be so dramatic. Let the girl go." He says joyously.

"Have you gone senile, Man? This little slut stabbed me!" He tightens his grip and I stop struggling from lack of energy to do so.

"I'm sure she had a great reason to. I know there are times I want to stab you!" He playfully punches Boggs on the leg because the stocky man towers over him. "Now let the girl go. She wishes to talk to the prisoner."

"This little whore is going to die before she gets to see her little boyfriend." He says with a wild look on his face.

The old man shakes his head, "See, I wouldn't do that. Coin has declared the girl Level 1 Importance."

The stocky man loosens his grip and I begin to cough for air. "Her?" He asks, "What's so special about her?" He says with disgust.

The old man rubs his beard thinking, "Not sure, but she wants her alive and cooperating. I figure if she is happy and gets what she want, then she will give Coin what she wants."

"And what does this little bitch want?" He asks scowling down at me.

"She wants to visit the young man that was whipped earlier today." He says in a light tone. "Allow her to visit the boy and then escort her to the Interrogation Room. From there, I'm sure she will be in better spirits to speak to us." With that, the old man winks at me, and makes his way back to the elevator.

The stocky man rips the beating stick from my grasp. "You lucked out this time you little whore, but I will make you pay for what you did to me."

I want to tell him that my shooter was the one who equipped me with the knife and if he wants someone to blame, he can go on his merry way towards his direction. But I stay quiet and wait for him to open the door.

I go through two doors until I make it to the cell that holds Argus. It is the same cell that held me for a month. When the door opens, I drop to my knees and embrace him. He is sprawled out on the ground and can barely move. He moans in agony as I touch him.

"Argus, are you okay?" I ask, looking upon his face and seeing the pain they caused him.

He smiles slowly and coughs, "It's so nice to hear your voice again."

He smiles wearily at me and I get help but let out a sob. "Argus, I'm so sorry they did this to you. This is all my fault."

He slowly raises his hand to stop me, "You're strong, Aurelia. Don't let them break you."

I smile and move towards him, hugging him softly. "What are we going to do, Argus? I can't take this anymore." I say with a sob. "I can't watch them hurt you."

"Stay strong, and true to your believes. It's what your father would have wanted."

I smile at the mention of my father, and then remember what my shooter said. He may have just been saying things to get under my skin, but I have to know if what he said was true. "Argus," I begin. I looks up at me, passed the puffiness of his eyes. "When they were interrogating me, they said that one of the citizens of District 2 said that you helped my father with money. Is that true?"

He readjusts himself and looks up at me. He sighs heavily and says, "Your father never wanted me to tell you." I beg him to continue and after a while, he does. "After your mother died, your father couldn't work as much because he had to take care of you. Money was tight, and he didn't want you to think that you were born to a poor family." He coughs and moans in pain. "At first I gave your father money anomalously. I would hide a few coins here and there—nothing too much so he wouldn't grow suspicious. When he finally found out, he was so angry at me." He smiles at the memory of my father. "He told me it was a blow to his pride and that he could take care of his own family. It wasn't until he got diagnosed with Black Lung, that he finally realized he needed my help."

I take his hand in my own, and rub the back of it with my thumb. "For a while, I gave him the smallest amount of my training wages." He continues. "When he began to work less, I gave him more of my money. So much, that Septum caught on, and demanded that I stop giving him my money." I shake my head not believing that Septum would do such a thing. He was an important man in the Acorn, but there is no way he would punish Argus for giving away his money willingly.

"The only way I got Septum to agree to my giving my wages to your father was convincing him that I was to marry you when you came of age." Argus frowns, "Your father agreed, simply because he was desperate for the money, but once you came of age, you were a lot feistier than we anticipated." He laughs, but quickly stops when the pain becomes overwhelming. I simply smile at the thought. My father always commented in my attitude.

"We never predicted you would be so willing to work at such a young age. You were determined to pick up his shifts at the blacksmith's guild. And the more you worked, the less your father wanted of me. But no matter what he said, I never stopped giving him the money. I always thought it was my duty to protect you." He looks up at me as best as he can and sees that I am crying. He frowns and brushes the tears down my cheek. "He was genuinely sad when he told me that I could no longer marry you. He said you were his only daughter, his pride and joy, and it was a decision that you were to make, not him." He looks away from me, a tear falling from his eyes. "I was devastated. I felt as though I was part of your family, and then I was so quickly ripped out. I tried to flirt with you, and earn your favor, but I always came off so arrogant."

He smiles and frowns at the same time. "The day the Acorn was attacked and I saw you running home, I heard your father's voice telling me to protect you." He looks up at me with a lost look in his eyes. "I know you wanted to die with your father that night, but I couldn't let you. I promised him I would keep you safe, and I knew he was already gone." He lets out a sob that he tries desperately to keep in. "I'm sorry, Aurelia. I'm so sorry for everything you went through."

I take him in and give him a hug. I run my fingers though his hair, rocking him slightly. "Thank you, Argus," I whisper. "Thank you for everything you did for me and my father."

He moves out of my grip and smiles at me. "I would do anything for you." He weakly sighs and continues, "You should probably go," He whispers not wanting what he just said.

I shake my head. "I'm not leaving you." I place my hand on his cheek, and slowly move closer to him. I place my lips against his. At first he shutters in the pain, but he wants my kiss, so he fights though it, and places his hand on my hip.

He guides me with his hand on my hip to sit on top of him. I am weary of how I sit on him so I don't hurt him. Our kiss becomes faster, more intense, and deeper. He has wanted this for so long. I have never not found Argus attractive. He was a prick, that was true, but he always meant well. I know he knows his way around a women's body, and I the opposite for a man, but I take him in and drop my fears, I am here with him and I finally feel like I am home.

**Gale**

"You did what?" I yell with as much fury as my body can imagine.

"Now, now, there is no need to raise your voice." Beetee scolds, checking the scope on a gun.

"Beetee," I say placing my hand on the gun he is holding and pushing it down. "Look at me," the old man looks up at me with a smile on his face. "Tell me you're playing a sick joke on me." I say looking down on the man as if he is a misbehaving child.

"I am playing a sick joke on you." He says and I exhale with relief. "But that's a lie."

"What?" I yell.

"You told me to say it, you didn't tell me to mean it." He says jollily.

"You're telling me you escorted that District 2 rebel to the Basement Cell where her little boyfriend is, and you and Boggs let her go in there to talk to him?" I say trying not to raise my voice.

"That is correct." He says matter-of-factly. "Boggs was not too keen on the idea, but he loosened up."

I press the skin between my eyebrows together. "He 'loosed up'? Have you two gone mad? These people are our prisoners! Not our guests!"

"Coin declared Aurelia Level 1 importance, meaning that we must oblige to her wishes until she gives us the information she has."

"I don't care if she is President Snow's daughter!" I yell. "She is my prisoner, and I say where she can and cannot go!"

"Well, Gale, you do not treat her well." Beetee says, finally sounding serious. "She is a sweet girl, in a horrible situation. Maybe if you approached her from a better standpoint, she might actually give you what you want." He says almost philosophically.

"You're crazy, old man!" I say as I make my way out of the armory. I go to the elevator and leave towards the basement.

When the doors open to the basement, I see Boggs is intently watching the computer screen. "Boggs!" I announce, "Glad to see you're back and running again."

"No thanks to you." He says not looking up from the screen.

"I have to apologize for that. I didn't expect her to use the knife to hurt anyone." I saw scratching my head.

"An apology would have been nice in the hospital. Hell, a visit would have been nice even." He says still only glaring at me for a second, and then putting his attention back on the screen.

"You know I would have visited you, I was just really busy with that prisoner from District 2." He scoffs and says something about me being a punk. "Speaking of her," I say ignoring him. "Beetee tells me that his dementia riddled mind brought her to see the other rebel that was whipped today."

He nods once. "The little whore is shacking up with him right now." He says pointing at the computer. I run over to the screen and see what he is watching. I look over at the computer and watch as she straddles the boy from District 2. She is kissing him and he moves to take off her clothes. "They had a little heart-to-heart that led to this." He scoffs, "teenagers."

"I need to go in there." I say backing away from the computer.

"You really want to barge in while they are doing this?" He says motioning towards the computer.

"We can't let them think this is some vacation where they can come and go as they please." I say, "They are prisoners. They need to be locked up."

"You're really bitter about this girl, aren't you." He says finally looking at me. "My guess is you're jealous that he is hooking up with her and you're not." Before I can refuse, he stops me. "Word of advice, Gale; if you want to get this girl to not hate you and tell you whatever the hell she know about the Capital that Coin finds ridiculously important, then try being nice to her. Girls are crazy about that Stockholm syndrome crap."

I roll my eyes and make my way behind the desk and watch her on the computer screen. I hate watching her look so happy with him. This isn't a place to be happy. She should be suffering for what the Capital put me through.

"You know," Boggs says, eating a snack while watching the screen. "Back in my day, when boys had a crush on girls, they would just tell them. Not imprison them." I give Boggs a dirty look and he laughs. "Just giving you some advice, little man."

I look back at the screen. I don't like her. There is no way that I like her. She drives me insane and I want to kill her. But I can't help but deny the feelings that I am getting watcher her with another man. I've never felt this jealousy for anyone before. Not even when Peeta and Katniss kissed on live television. I was angry and I hated her for doing it. But looking back, I never wanted it to be me. Not like now, I never wanted Katniss' lips around mine as much as I do hers.

I stand up quickly, knocking the chair over. "I can't watch this." I say fuming. "Send her to the Interrogation Room when they're finished." I spit out venomously as I walk away from Boggs, with clenched knuckles.


End file.
